Leather utility box



LEATHER UTILITY Box Filed March l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A, INVENTOR L Q 5 z K BY l .m'oRNra s, j

Feb. 7, 1939. LA G. STANLEY LEATHER UTILITY BOX Filed March l, 1937 2 ShGStS-Sht 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention is a novel leather utility box, or a box-like case composed at least partly of, and covered by leather, which term is intended to include leather substitutes and similar limp sheet materials suitable for the coverings of such articles; and the invention includes also the method of manufacture of the article. The utility case of this invention is of the general class adapted for travel use, or for similar toilet or i0 personal use, to contain light equipment or property, with a box member and a cover member and means of securely closing it, but leaving it quickly accessible. Being composed of leather or similar pliable or limp material it is distinguished from the different class of article consisting of a wholly rigid box with hinged cover, such article being less convenient for packing or stowing away.

Several constructions of utility box are already known, and as prior art I may refer to my pending application heretofore iiled on January 19, 1937, Serial No. 121,269, which illustrates a utility box having a reenforcing angle iron embedded in the bottom and back walls, the end and front walls being limp, and the cover being hinged atop the back wall and connected with the other walls when closed by a continuous or zipper fastening means.

The objects of the present invention are to afford a utility box of the class referred to which will have greater strength and stiffness than my prior article and which is adapted to manufacture by an improved and more inexpensive method, thus reducing the cost of manufacture of the article. Other advantages will appear in the hereinafter following description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. To the attainment of the objects and advantages referred to the present invention consists in the novel utility box, and the novel features of construction thereof. and method of manufacture as herein illustrated and described.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a case or box, of leather or similar pliable covering material, shown open, but without contents, that might be toilet articles for travel use.

Figs. 2 to 5 are a series of diagrammatic section views showing successive steps in manufacture, with necessary exaggeration of dimension.

Fig. 6 is an elevation face View of a composite strip or assembly produced as in Figs. 2 to 5 and shown at length.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the assembly of Fig. 6 bent or shaped to form to be embodied in the case of Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 is a similar view of 55. an embedded component thereof.

Fig. 9 is a fore-and-ai't vertical section of the box of Fig. l.

Fig. 10, in view like Fig. 7, shows a modification thereof; and Fig. 11 a further modification.

Fig. 12, in view like Fig. 5, shows a modification 5 thereof.

The box or tray portion of the case comprises a bottom 20, a front wall 2|, end walls 22 and back wall 23 to the top edge of which is hinged the cover 24. The front wall may be straight or 10 otherwise, for example two sections at an angle, the Whole box then being polygonal or five-sided.

As usual in leather boxes or containers the corners joining the walls are rounded and smooth as shown. The interior may be fitted with means l5 to hold toilet or other objects, such as the holding loop 25 at the inner side of the cover. Whereas a zipper fastening requires limp margins of the walls and the cover, this is herein avoided by use of the strap type of closure, the tab 26 carrying 20 a snap fastener member 21 cooperating with the complementary member 28 on the top of the cover. As in the prior application Fig. 1 shows an angle iron 29 embedded or concealed in the box bottom 20 and back wall 23, stil-lening the 25 latter and holding it rigidly upright for the hinging of the cover to it.

'I'he present improvement has to do mainly with the structural character of the peripheral walls and their relation to the other parts of the box. 30 At least the front and end walls, and preferably part or all of the back wall, have a composite structure which runs continuously along the walls and around the rounded corners. This consists of an assembly of a lining layer or strip 30 of 35 suitable limp material as fabric or cellulose sheet material, and a covering layer or strip 34 of leather or the like, and with a metal strip or insert 31 embedded or sandwiched between them, the whole secured or cemented into a unitary 40 composite strip 40 fabricated into the box structure. The inserted metal strip is narrower than the limp components leaving a. limp lower margin 42 for stitching to the box bottom. It may be ci zinc for example, or copper or the like, readily 45 bendable at the wall corners yet stiff and strong to give permanent form to the whole, and some non-metallic strip materials may serve, as certain condensation products.

The structure will be better understood from the method of manufacture, believed to be novel, and permitted by the described structure. In Fig. 2 the lining strip 3G is shown edgewise or in section. In Fig. 3 the upper margin has been refolded or downturned at 3| to afford a smooth 55 upper edge. A cheap or soft filling 32 may be included as in Fig. 4, such as cardboard, to give more body to the walls. This may terminate short of the bottom, leaving a lining margin or extension 33, and the lining infold 3| may embrace the filling. Fig. 5 shows the step of assembling these with the leather covering strip or layer 34, and with the inserted metal strip 31; all of these components being preferably secured together by an adhesive as rubber cement. The leather strip depends at 35 in contact with the margin 33 of the lining.

The composite assembly or strip is so formed at full length, for example about 20 inches long and 11A inches wide for a box of such periphery and depth, and Fig. 6 shows this stage or temporary product. The enclosed lling and metal strips are indicated as terminating short of the lining and covering components, which are coextensive, thus leaving at each end a limp or unstiffened extent of composite strip. The lower margins 33 and 35 of the lining and covering also afford a limp lower margin 42, adapted to be stitched to the box bottom 2U around its periphery.

When the box is to be assembled the composite strip 40 is bent around a form into the desired contour as seen in Fig. 7. With the short length metal strip 31 this seen separately would now appear as in Fig. 8 in this embodiment. The bottom 2S, back Wall 23 and cover 24 having been prepared and connected as by a continuous lining 44, the wall strip 43 is applied and stitched thereto, for example the extensions 4| to the back wall 23 and the margins 42 to the periphery of the bottom 20. A continuous outer leather covering may now be applied, extending over the bottom, back wall and cover, and its edges turned in at 4E and stitched to the bottom 20 and margin 42 and analogously to the back 23 and cover 24. This completes the box, except for application of the strap and fastening and interior holders.

Many variations in design, structure and detail may be made within the invention. Thus Fig. 10 shows a modification wherein the metal strip 31 is carried around at 33 into the composite strip ends 4I at the back wall and thus gives shape to all four rounded corners. Fig. 11 shows each strip end 4I extended to meet the other, and the metal insert extended at 39 substantially to the middle.

Further, the iilling 32 is not necessary where the covering and lining afford sulicient thickness, and indeed, the covering and lining may be integral; thus Fig. 12 shows a refolded leather strip 36 forming both covering and lining, and

within the fold the metal strip 31. This affords unbroken rounded wall top edges. In any form, where the composite strip terminates at the back wall the ends thereof may be concealed by an interior leather or lining piece overlying the ends and stitched to the back Wall.

I claim:

1. The method of constructing a utility box consisting in iirst assembling at length a covering strip and a lining strip, both of limp material, and inserting between them a relatively narrow metal strip of thin and laterally bendable character, all said strips being at least as long as the combined front and end walls of the box, thus producing a long composite strip of generally limp and bendable character but partially stiffened by said metal strip, and then bending such elongated composite strip to the contour of the front and end walls of the box, and uniting its limp lower edge to the box bottom.

2. The method of constructing a utility box consisting in first assembling at length a covering strip and a lining strip, both of limp material, and inserting between them near one edge a relatively narrow metal strip of thin and laterally bendable character, said metal strip being at least as long as the combined front and end walls of the box, and the limp component somewhat longer than the metal strip, and cementing said strips to each other, thus producing a long composite strip of generally limp and bendable character but stiffened for part of its Width by said metal strip, and then bending such elongated composite strip to the contour of the front and end Walls of the box, with the metal strip near the top edge thereof, and uniting the limp lower edge to the box bottom.

3. The method of constructing a utility box consisting in first assembling at length a covering strip and a lining strip, both of limp material, and inserting between them a relatively narrow metal strip of thin and laterally bendable character, said strips constituting an extended structural assemblage of length as long as the combined front and end Walls of the box with additional length to extend into the back wall, and said assemblage being of generally limp and bendable character but partially stiiened by said metal strip, and then bending such elongated composite strip or assemblage to the contour of the front and end walls and to extend into the back wall of the box, and uniting its limp lower edge to the box bottom, and then forming the box back wall, to include such additional length of assemblage.

LEOPOLD G. STANLEY. 

